The common methods of manufacturing basic dyes can result in final formulations that display an undesirable corrosive effect on metal components of dye handling equipment. In particular, it is typical to use chloride ions as the anionic counter ions to these cationic dye molecules and to use excess amounts of chloride compounds, such as rock salt, to isolate the finished dyestuff from its synthesis bath. In the synthesis of the dye it is convenient to have it in solution but, of course, it then must be recovered from the reaction medium, often an aqueous acid solution. A very common technique is to drive the dye from solution or "salt it out" by the addition of common salt (sodium chloride). In some cases, particularly with readily water soluble dyes, it may not be possible to wash the dye free of this precipitating salt. This residual salt may cause corrosion problems, particularly in dye formulations which are normally acidic. For instance in order to obtain sufficiently concentrated liquid compositions, some basic dyes, such as Color Index Basic Blue 1, are formulated with substantial amounts of glacial acetic acid. Such acidic formulations have been observed to cause significant corrosion of chloride ion sensitive materials of construction such as 316 stainless steel.